Blog Central

BOSTON – If you're looking for proof that you don't need to play major junior or college hockey to catch the eye of USA Hockey, look for further than forward Miles Wood.

The 19-year-old from Buffalo, N.Y., is in his last year of high school at Noble and Greenough School. This week he's spending four days at the USA Hockey evaluation camp on the campus of Boston University at Walter Brown Arena. Wood hopes to earn a spot on the United States National Junior Team, which will compete in the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship later this month in Toronto and Montreal.

"My parents are strict on the school part of this whole thing," Wood said on why he's still in school. "But it doesn't matter where you play, just as long as you have the right mentality and you have that drive, no matter where you play, you will reach your goal."

BOSTON – Boston College sophomore Steven Santini probably didn’t know what to think about his chances for being part of the United States National Junior Team for the 2015 IIHF Junior World Championship when he injured his right wrist in late October.

Santini, a second-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2013, hasn’t played since Oct. 25, when a fluke run-in with a player from University of Massachusetts in the corner led to the injury. Santini had surgery a couple days later.

After a couple days of Pastrnak practicing on right wing with Bergeron and left wing Brad Marchand, it looks like that's where coach Claude Julien will keep the 2014 first-round pick in an effort to bring out the 18-year-old's best talents. That line should start together when the Bruins and Winnipeg Jets meet Friday at TD Garden.

There were no morning skates because of a Boston Celtics matinee.

In the past, Marchand and current Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin have been moved to Bergeron's line early in their careers to better learn how to integrate their offensive skills into an NHL-caliber two-way game.

So it might be time for the Penguins to juggle their line combinations. Coach Mike Johnston would not commit to using his morning-skate lines in the game against the Boston Bruins on Monday at TD Garden. But during the morning skate, Crosby and Evgeni Malkin essentially swapped wings from prior alignments.

Crosby centered Hornqvist and Nick Spaling, while Malkin skated between Kunitz and Blake Comeau. Crosby and Kunitz have been together the longest among the players that might change lines.

Prior to their morning skate at TD Garden on Saturday the Canadiens posed for a team picture along with the mothers and daughters who got to travel to Boston with their sons and other members of the Canadiens staff.

Last season the Canadiens took their fathers on a road trip.

"It is a different feeling. I can't say it's good or bad or any way, but it's a little bit different," Montreal forward Brendan Gallagher said. "I think everyone's on a little bit better behavior around their moms. They're always watching to make sure you're doing the right things. I know my mom's making sure I'm eating my vegetables. So it's a little bit different for me on the road. But it's fun to have them here."

Cammalleri missed the past six games with a jaw injury and the Devils went 2-4-0 without him. Prior to the injury, Cammalleri had five goals and two assists in eight games, so he'll be looking to quickly find his offensive form.

"We'll find out in a hurry," Cammalleri said after an optional morning skate. "You know I'm not going to put any expectations on myself [Monday] other than just to try and do what I can to help the club win and ... we'll see what happens in terms of results. And as far as my game, it might take a bit to get back into it but I'll do what I can."

Krejci missed two games before he returned to face the Edmonton Oilers last Thursday. He missed each of the Bruins' practices since then and did not take part in an optional morning skate Monday. His injury is undisclosed and Julien has classified the forward as day-to-day

Krejci took part in an optional morning skate at TD Garden, but coach Claude Julien did not know if Krejci would be able to take warm-ups.

"We'll see after he gets off there. If he does [take the warm-up] there's a chance he'll play obviously," Julien said.

Krejci has missed the past two games with an undisclosed injury. The Bruins have not only made do without Krejci lately but also have missed defensemen Zdeno Chara, Kevan Miller and Torey Krug. In place of the three defensemen, recent American Hockey League call-ups Zach Trotman, David Warsofsky and Joe Morrow have filled in admirably. The Bruins have won three in a row and are 4-1-0 since Chara was injured.

Bruins coach Claude Julien said center David Krejci is out with the same undisclosed injury that forced him to be a late scratch Saturday. Krejci is classified as day to day.

Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said forward Jonathan Huberdeau is still out with the flu and didn’t join the team in Boston. Huberdeau might join the Panthers on the next leg of their road trip in Philadelphia.

Aside from the absence of two of the better skilled players from both teams, Tuesday night marks an important event for a player known more for work ethic and toughness. Panthers forward Shawn Thornton, who left the Bruins as an unrestricted free agent last summer after seven seasons, will play his first game against his former team.

He's only 17 but he can see the ice so well and he moves the puck and goes to the open ice all the time, so I just think he's a player that is ready to play in the NHL. I'm really looking forward to coaching someone like this.

— U.S. National Junior Team coach Ron Wilson on Auston Matthews, the projected No. 1 pick of the 2016 NHL Draft